We're sharing today's post from our friend and Mentor Coach here at FRESH Start, Heidi Hovde from Salisbury, Massachusetts!

She is a Certified Holistic Nutritional Health Coach, mama of 4, wife to Aaron and recently our guest on the FRESH Living Talk Radio show about Detoxing our Everyday for Thyroid Health. She shared life-changing information for all of us to use in natural thyroid treatments! You will be GLAD to read this incredible article and if you haven't heard the show yet, you can listen to it HERE.

Here's Heidi...

I am honored today to share with you some exciting and rockin’ news about detoxing your everyday for natural thyroid treatments. I have so much information to share with you (due to my own personal story and years of research!)

Here's my “message in my bottle” - I will do my best to summarize; and at least get you started, thinking about what you can do to make small gradual changes in YOUR everyday life for a healthier thyroid!

Your thyroid gland is part of your endocrine system. It is the little butterfly-shaped organ in your throat area. When you have thyroid disease, you have what is called an autoimmune disease/disorder. I personally have Hashimotos, but others who are affected by thyroid imbalance have Grave’s Disease, hypothyroid or hyperthyroid disorder, or a goiter. All of these conditions affect the same gland, the thyroid. This organ governs so many of the functions in our bodies. Having a thyroid imbalance can cause a lot of implications because of this “lil butterfly in our throat.”

The thyroid regulates these body functions:

Heart Rate
Mental Clarity
Emotional Balance
Organ Function
& Stress Hormone Response
Inflammation Response

Foods to Avoid while trying to detox and create better thyroid health:

Gluten
Sugar - including artificial or sugar substitutes
Processed foods, dyes, and additives
Caffeine and alcohol in excess
Sugar-free/diet products
Soy

Most importantly, something my Medical DOCTOR never told me, until I saw a Naturopath MD…

Avoid: Raw GOITROGENIC foods (otherwise known as cruciferous foods) plants of the cabbage family, broccoli, collard greens and kale. Unless you prepare them steamed, baked, or sauté! In raw form, these normally-healthy foods create inflammation in the body. Strawberries are included in this group of foods!

Green smoothie lovers make sure you steam your goitrogenic foods at the beginning of the week and freeze them so you can still add them to your smoothies.

Foods to ADD IN for DETOX & thyroid health:

Drink WATER!
Sea salt, sea vegetables such as kelp, nori, (seaweed snacks) I like to add them to soups for ease.
Brazil nuts for selenium
Whole foods such as greens, veggies, fruits, fish, seafood, grass-fed organic beef, and chicken.
Coconut oil helps restore thyroid function and actually increases the metabolic rate leading to weight loss.
Properly prepared/soaked gluten free grains (rice, quinoa, and gluten free oats)
Burdock root
Superfoods such as Acai, Goji berries, Cacao, Turmeric, ginger, and green tea to name a few

Detoxing our Personal care products is key to maintain healthy thyroid function:

Our skin is our largest organ, what you put on it enters directly into your blood stream within minutes. Did you know that Europe has BANNED over 1300 harmful chemicals from personal care products and the USA only bans 11! Oh my word no wonder we have such a toxin problem and the rise in autoimmune disorders in the USA continues to climb! These chemical are known carcinogens and endocrine disruptors! The word FRAGRANCE on a product actually means the maker is hiding any amount of over a 1000 known toxins!

Our day begins and we brush our teeth with Flouride toothpaste (fluoride is an endocrine disruptor.) We slather on shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, skin-care products, makeup, lotion, and perfume. We have literally slathered ourselves with parabens, triclosans, and oxybenzones, just to name a few endocrine disruptors! (Don’t panic, there are hundreds of non-toxic options we CAN use!) Little by little, one step at a time, we can make better toxin free choices. Contact me HERE if you'd like to explore the options I use and love!

Another important product to look at: women’s feminine products such as tampons and pads! They contain bleached cotton and the toxin glyphosate. There are organic or toxin-free options available, do your research and swap them out!

Detoxing our cleaning and household products:

Dish soap, floor cleaners, dryer sheets, laundry cleaners, all-purpose cleaners are made up of mostly toxic chemicals. Start using more natural products like baking soda, vinegar, lemon, and essential oils, just to name a few natural options. If you don’t want to make your own, check with me HERE, this is great resource for non-toxic laundry, dish cleaning, and all-purpose cleaners.

Plug-in air fresheners and sprays are known carcinogens and endocrine disruptors as well. If you need something to smell wonderful in your house, seek out essential oils and fresh fruits that can make your space smell amazing and also calm your nerves. Double POW!

Environmental toxins & other exposures to avoid:

BPA plastics in our kitchen containers, water bottles, etc ( a better option is glass or stainless steel containers and water bottles)
Shower curtains containing PVC
Mercury filings/Dental work leach neurotoxins into our bloodstream. Heavy metals can alter our immune system as well (Dr. Mercola is a great resource re: dental do’s and don’ts)
Microwaves: Avoid cooking in microwave ovens. Reheat foods on the stove top.
Cellphones: Avoid prolonged use of and storing your phone on your body. If you need to be on long calls or use your phone often try using an ear piece or bluetooth device. These EMT’s (Electromagnetic transmissions) directly affect your thyroid gland.

Supplementation for any deficiencies in the thyroid:

Good quality multi-vitamin
Toxin free fish oil
B vitamins
Co-enzyme Q10
Vitamin D
Probiotic - digestive enzymes is a must!

Decrease “Toxic Stress” in your life:

“Learn the power of the word” NO!” You can’t be everything to everyone. You can’t be at every event and party. Nourish the relationships that bring you peace and joy. Eliminate the drama and “Toxic Relationships” in your life.”

— Heidi Hovde, Certified Health Coach

Get appropriate sleep:

Keep the cell phone outside of your bedroom.
Shoot for at least 8 hours of sleep
If you are tired during the day, allow yourself a nap and rest.

Relaxation techniques:

Yes BREATHE; breathing exercises are amazing to increase energy and decrease stress.
Color!
Do yoga
Pray and meditate
Get outside in nature and get some good old-fashioned fresh air and sunlight

One more thing I wanted to mention is that we also have something called "chakras" in our physical being.

The chakra in the throat area is the on related to the thyroid. These energy centers of our body can get blocked, or sluggish. We need to keep these open and not restrict them with negative self-talk. Negative self-talk directly effects our thyroid gland. So the moment you get that “I am not good enough” thought, or “I am not doing enough” thought in your head, let it go! Don’t let it make it off the tip of your tongue and out of your lips. You are good enough. Give it to God and he will handle it. Pray and Praise yourself daily.

Remember, detoxing your lifestyle as you know it is a gradual process. Start small in one area of your life and work on that. Then, little by little, you can make huge progress in decreasing your toxic load for better overall and thyroid function!

Be well,
Heidi